Give a Man a Dog
by MCalhen
Summary: A stray puppy changes the lives of the Narumi family, in many ways. The story takes place after the manga, so be wary if you haven't read it. Kiyotaka and Madoka are the center of the story, with Ayumu and Hiyono on the side.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Spiral is not mine. It lacks too many Kiyotaka x Madoka moments to have ever been mine.

Author's Note: I've revised this seriously. I apologize to all of my patient readers who really wanted me to continue this story for taking so long to pull up the atrocity it once was and fix it, then move on to continuing it. It clearly needed some work, and it still does.

Warning: Spoilers, from the beginning to the very end of the manga. The manga does not end on the same note as the anime, so if you have only watched the anime, I recommend that you turn back immediately if you are afraid of being spoiled.

* * *

Hiyono and Ayumu had found a nice restaurant and settled out on the patio at a table, waiting for their meal. Hiyono was grateful that the sun was peaking through the clouds; she wanted to enjoy her meal outside without worrying about whether or not it might rain. Her companion seemed listless. He was doing better now, after all that time in the hospital and recovering, but she still was concerned for him. She tried to make up for it by keeping with her usual bright attitude, just as she had back in high school, when she was Hiy…

Well she was still Hiyono. She didn't want to think about her real name, as she closed her eyes and smiled. She was grateful that at this moment, she was with Ayumu and he wasn't angry at her the way he had been when he'd found out she'd been working for his brother. She absolutely hated Kiyotaka, but she wanted to be close to Ayumu. She still wanted to be Hiyono Yuizaki, so that's what she had gone back to.

It was a miracle that Ayumu was even able to be outside with her and have this dinner. After two long years, she had finally visited, and something kept making her return to Ayumu's hospital room. She found herself becoming attached to him all over again, but this time it was no longer her job. While Ayumu had undergone frequent testing shortly after Hizumi's autopsy, Hiyono stayed loyally by his side, and she never wanted to leave.

While his left arm still hung limply at his side, always to be paralyzed, his life had at least been prolonged for a short while longer thanks to Hizumi. To have Ayumu here at all was something Hiyono had to be grateful for, even though it hung over her that he still would not live the full life she would enjoy. Such was the fate of a clone.

"I'm glad it decided not to rain today," Hiyono said gently, watching as the blue sky became more and more clear and the gentle breeze took away the heavy looking gray clouds. "It really would have ruined my meal."

"Still thinking about food," Ayumu grumbled under his breath, and Hiyono smiled.

"Of course I am!" Hiyono exclaimed happily. She showed her delight in eating the meal by nearly pouncing on it when the waiter brought it to their table outside.

"Can I try a bite of that?" Hiyono said between bites of her own meal, glancing up across the table at the dish Ayumu was delicately picking at. Ayumu didn't answer, so she reached her chopsticks over the table to grab her own sample, only to be stopped by Ayumu's own pair of chopsticks. His eyes narrowed down at her hand, which wiggled around persistently, trying to maneuver her chopsticks around his block.

"It's just a sample," Hiyono said cheerfully, and Ayumu pulled slightly with his chopstick and her own pair slipped from her fingers and clattered to the ground. "Ayumu! Now I'll have to get another set…"

She called for the waiter and asked him to bring another set as she leaned down to fetch the chopsticks on the ground. As she was leaning down, a cold nose suddenly rubbed up against her cheek and then suddenly a pink tongue licked the side of her face. Her eyes went wide, and she turned to see a small, blonde puppy wagging its tail at her.

"A dog…" She said in surprised. Ayumu looked up from his meal dissection and craned his neck to see the dog at the side of their table.

"Appears so," he replied nonchalantly and went back to picking around at his meal, occasionally slipping a tiny bite into his mouth. He wasn't really feeling all that hungry, to be honest.

"Aw, the poor thing must be hungry." After all, the dog was hanging around the outside tables at a restaurant, though would likely be shooed off when an employee of the restaurant spotted it.

"For all you know, it's the offspring of the dogs that used to chase Rio down and steal her food."

"You really are heartless sometimes Ayumu. How could you accuse an innocent puppy for something other stray dogs did? Give me a little bit of your meal."

"Why mine? Spare some of your own."

"You're not even eating, and I couldn't possibly hand over any of my meal. Do you want me to go hungry? Now quit being so heartless and just slip a bit in a napkin and hand it over. This poor puppy is probably starving!"

"Dogs are always hungry." Nonetheless, when Hiyono was distracted with taking her new set of chopsticks from the waiter, who couldn't see the dog that had moved under the table to rest by Hiyono's leg, and returning the dirty set, Ayumu took a small bit of tofu from his meal and tossed it under the table to the dog. The puppy eagerly lapped it up and could tell by the look on Ayumu's face that it probably shouldn't ask for anymore.

Hiyono returned to her own meal, reluctantly sacrificing bits of her own food to slip under the table while throwing many glares in Ayumu's direction. He pretended to be oblivious to these glares, though, and finally she left just a few bites of her meal and set it on a napkin down in front of the dog. As the puppy downed the leftovers with more enthusiasm than even Hiyono had when eating her meal, Hiyono reached over and took what was left of Ayumu's food. He'd barely eaten any of it, and didn't seem like he was willing to finish much more – she might as well not let it go to waste.

"That was mine," Ayumu said, knowing it was no use when Hiyono made up her mind. He had never forgotten how betrayed and hurt he felt upon realizing she had just been another of Kiyotaka's pawns. But even knowing she was really a different person than he originally thought, some things never changed. "I might have wanted to bring home the rest to eat later."

"This sort of food wouldn't be good if you let it get too cold," Hiyono said, more as an excuse to eat his food than a real reason at all.

When they had finished their meal and paid, Hiyono and Ayumu headed over to his brother's house. Hiyono could be in the same room as Kiyotaka, but she still had never forgiven him. She still openly loathed him for making her a part of his final game with Ayumu; against someone that she was hired to help just enough for Kiyotaka to let him fall even further when she was pulled out from underneath him. She had been hired as a trump card. Unlike everyone else, who seemed to have accepted what Kiyotaka had done and moved on, Hiyono held a deep grudge. At the same time, she fought the fact that in all that time Kiyotaka had been using her, and the damage he'd done was beyond repair, there was still the fact that she'd met and grown fond of Ayumu.

Someone else had apparently grown very fond of Ayumu. A small figure trotted behind him, its tail bouncing back and forth with each little bound. While Hiyono found the puppy's new dedication to Ayumu adorable, Ayumu scowled deeply and ignored his new shadow.

"I wish that dog would stop following us," he finally said, still refusing to look back and give the puppy any sort of sign that it might take as encouragement to continue following the pair.

"Ayumu, you can't possibly hate the dog that much. After all, you did sneak him a little bite of food, didn't you?"

"The puppy is a girl, Hiyono." However, being wrong at guessing the puppy's gender did not make Hiyono hesitate.

"And you fed her a little bite while you thought I was distracted."

"Nothing gets passed you, does it? Especially when it comes to where every bite of food ends up…"

She would have liked to have pulled out her old hand puppet and given him a proper bonk on the head, but she no longer had puppets. She'd grown accustomed to not having them on her in her time in Germany, as they had reminded her too much about her time with Ayumu. Now she missed them almost as much as she had missed him; especially when he had earned himself a plushie beating.

"Don't be silly. Now what shall we do with her?" Ayumu stopped walking, and turned to raise an eyebrow at Hiyono.

"What shall we do with her? Ignore her…" Ayumu went back to walking, but Hiyono stayed glued to the spot, her eyes narrowed in on Ayumu. She was determined to make him understand! He turned around and rolled his eyes at her. "What can we do? She's a stray."

"She's too young to be wandering around out in the city. What if she gets run over? Perhaps no kind soul comes along and brings her home, or gives her any more table scraps?" Hiyono piled on lists of horrible incidents and situations of neglect the puppy might endure, and she knew each one of them would slowly break down Ayumu's resolve. As she ticked off diseases and men who stole dogs off the street and used them in horrible experiments, his wrinkles when he thought too much became more vivid.

"Okay, let the dumb dog follow, then. Maybe Kiyotaka might keep it. I think he likes dogs." And that was that. Hiyono and the puppy trotted behind Ayumu all the way to Kiyotaka and Madoka's place.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Spiral.

Author's Note: I know I have no right for this level of neglect. It's been over two years since I touched this story, and I really am sorry. I've gone through and revised the first chapter, and I'll probably be doing the same with Waning Youth (another Spiral story) soon. I'm on a roll – I'm finally feeling bold enough to post these. If you see any errors, please don't hesitate to mention them.

For the record, I'm sort of with Madoka, and mostly with Hiyono. I feel bad for the puppy, but I am not a dog lover. Except, of course, I love the dog I own. She's the only exception. The dog doesn't get a name yet. Yet. Poor thing.

* * *

Hiyono had nestled the puppy up against her chest, wrapping one side of her coat around her tiny little body. She was afraid the puppy might wander out into the street while they were walking, since there were a few times she had drifted a little too close. As a result, the puppy couldn't hide at their feet when Madoka answered the door – she was in Madoka's direct line of vision.

"That…isn't coming in the house." Madoka glared at the puppy like it was some sort of wretched creature. She had never been the dog lover her husband was.

Hiyono stubbornly would not put the puppy down as she crossed the threshold into the house, leaving Madoka holding the door open, dumbfounded. Kiyotaka was sitting cross-legged on the living room floor, a game controller in hand. The puppy instantly leapt from Hiyono's grip and skipped over to the man, nudging his arm softly.

"Madoka, let it stay inside and close the door," Kiyotaka reasoned gently, not looking up from what looked like him endlessly pounding on his opponent on the screen. Madoka let the door close and narrowed her eyes at Kiyotaka.

"What if it goes in the house? And what are you doing?! Are you still fighting me?!" Madoka stomped over to get a better view of the TV screen, causing the puppy to back away in fright. The character Kiyotaka was so viciously pounding did not fight back, and an abandoned controller lay on the floor next to Kiyotaka.

"YOU!" She gave Kiyotaka a sharp kick in his side. "You're cheating!"

Kiyotaka let out a deep chuckle despite the fact that his ribcage had just been crushed and bruised from Madoka's swift kick.

"Anyway," Madoka began as she leaned over and hit the power button on the game console, much to her husband's dismay. "I already said the dog couldn't enter the house."

"She really needs a place to stay while I put in an ad in the paper and put up posters to see if she's someone's lost pet," Hiyono said brightly. "You wouldn't want her to get sick or even end up dead, when someone who really loves her is out looking for her? Plus, Ayumu said Kiyotaka likes dogs."

Hiyono glanced from Madoka, who was scowling at her, and Kiyotaka, who was already playing with the puppy and back again. Wordlessly, Hiyono nodded her head in Kiyotaka's direction, and Madoka reluctantly turned to see her husband down on his knees, trying to get the puppy to sit. Instead, he found a dog clambering up into his lap, paws against his chest, her tongue bathing his face in slobber.

"We're not keeping it, Kiyotaka," Madoka said forcefully.

It seemed she was outnumbered, though. Ayumu was scowling in another direction, not interested in the conversation at all, Hiyono seemed to have this look on her face like she wouldn't take no for an answer, and Kiyotaka…well, he had tucked his hands under the dog's front arms and lifted it up to show Madoka just how cute she really was. He smiled, but in his eyes it was obvious to Madoka he was pleading with her. She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes.

"Are you going to take it out? Are you going to clean up her messes? What about food? Water? I'm certainly not taking care of it."

Her husband laughed at her.

"It is a girl," Kiyotaka said when he'd stopped laughing. "Madoka, you don't have to regard me as if I were a child. A dog can't be that hard. I've had to take care of children of all ages." He hesitated, knowing it was still a sore spot for the married couple that he had been away for so long and used Madoka as part of his plan. "What makes you think I can't handle a puppy?"

"Puppies aren't human." Madoka scowled. "And it has nothing to do with you taking care of her. It has everything to do with that responsibility somehow falling to me when you're not around."

"Just keep the dog and quit giving me a headache," Ayumu finally groaned. The puppy turned her head and wagged her little tail at Ayumu. Kiyotaka set her down and she instantly went over to Ayumu, ready to put her front paws on his pant leg.

Ayumu raised an eyebrow at the puppy and she instantly plopped down on her butt obediently. Madoka was impressed.

"Maybe Ayumu should keep her," Madoka remarked. "It seems she obeys him."

"She'll obey me, too," Kiyotaka said confidently, cutting off Ayumu as he was about to protest Madoka's suggestion. It seemed the decision had already been made to keep the dog at their house, and the dog had already made herself comfortable. When Kiyotaka leaned over to turn the video game console back on and replace the discs, she trotted over and licked him in the face, then curled up in his lap when he sat back down with a role playing game now in the console.

"Well, she needs a name," Madoka said suddenly. When everyone turned to her, a little surprised that she was interested in calling the dog any name at all, she snapped, "You can't begin training a dog if you don't even have a name for it!"

"Great excuse, sis," Ayumu said sarcastically with an amused smirk on his face.

"I wouldn't say that. You get to cook gourmet dog food and bring it over every day," Kiyotaka teased. Ayumu's head snapped in Kiyotaka's direction, and given that Ayumu was only standing a couple of feet away, he reached up his foot and gave Kiyotaka's ribcage another nasty blow. "I'm only teasing. You don't have to. I just know you will." This time, Kiyotaka managed to duck the incoming kick Ayumu tried to deliver.

"Well, Madoka is right," Hiyono suddenly said, crossing her arms and feeling comfortable that the pup would no longer be wandering the streets. "I wonder if she already had a name, or if she's just another stray? But for now, we'll have to come up with something temporary."

She worded what she said carefully for a reason. She didn't want to admit that she really doubted the dog had a home, but she didn't want to suggest that Kiyotaka and Madoka keep the dog permanently – that seemed like another hurdle with Madoka's cold attitude towards the dog. Given her information network, Hiyono knew where Madoka's dislike for dogs stemmed from. The most exposure Madoka had to what dogs were like was that they constantly left messes on the sidewalk, and dogs often barking at her every time she encountered one as a police detective. Therefore, Madoka did not have a vast understanding of dogs, or the ways they could charm their way into people's hearts.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: The dog is mine. Everything else belongs to…glances at company that published Spiral and grumbles "Square Enix." Eita Mizuno and Kyo Shirodaira own Spiral, too, of course.

Author's Note: I told myself that I would not let a year or two pass before posting another chapter! Thank you to all the kind readers and reviewers. I hope this chapter will be better than the last two. Hopefully longer! If you have any constructive criticism, I am all ears. As for the dog's names, I had it in my head for a while, but I thought it might be too kind considering who names her. Still, the name stuck. I thought Madoka might name the dog Kazu – apparently that means Obedient. xD

Instead, I had her name her after someone she sort of reminded me of…can anyone guess which video game, though? xD

Warning: There is no Ayumu/Hiyono in this chapter, but there is lots of Kiyotaka/Madoka. I'm a fan of the pairing, what do you expect?

* * *

Before leaving, Hiyono had suggested a myriad of German names. She had definitely been in Germany too long, Madoka had decided before she had forced Hiyono and Ayumu out the door.

Madoka glanced over at the puppy, where she sat in a large cardboard box outlined in paper. The puppy was whining, trying to jump out of the cardboard box to get to Madoka, who sat on the floor several feet away drinking a beer.

"Don't jump out of there or knock that over," Madoka said sternly, narrowing her eyes. "I can't concentrate and come up with a proper name for you if you fuss."

Madoka had been assigned official naming duty while her husband had taken off to the nearest store for a few basics. Without a collar and leash, the puppy couldn't go outside for a walk, and without food, she would starve. So Madoka was forced to sit on the floor and come up with a nice name for a creature she didn't really like. She had never, ever been an animal person, and that applied to dogs the most. While working as an inspector, she had been around more than enough dogs while talking to their owners, or dealing with cases where dogs were guarding a suspect.

"Miyuki," Madoka finally decided, reminded of a character from a video game as the puppy continued to whine eagerly. Upon hearing her new name, Miyuki let out a happy yap and settled down to lie in a corner of the box. She kept her ears up attentively, hoping that she would hear the footsteps of someone approach her and lift her out of her space.

"You're only in there because you might mess on the floor," Madoka said, finally standing up and walking over to the box. Miyuki rose again, wagging her tail slowly as if not sure whether Madoka was going to free her from her confinement or not.

"So far you haven't done a thing," Madoka said, crouching down but at a safe enough distance that Miyuki couldn't jump up at her and lick her in the face. She took a quick sip from her beer, impressed that Miyuki had not messed in the box yet. "Hopefully you'll wait for my husband to come home."

Said husband was taking too long, leaving his wife with a smelly dog at home alone. At least, that's how Madoka felt, polishing off the last of her beer and giving the puppy one last glance. How had she been talked into all this? She had to wonder as she threw her empty can in the trash and leaned against the counter of the kitchen. Had any of them even given her a say? A lot of things had been thrown at her at once lately. Before this puppy incident, Kiyotaka had thrown out the suggestion that they have a child just a few weeks before. The prospect of having a family with Kiyotaka had once been one of Madoka's wishes when she was first engaged to Kiyotaka, but that was before he had disappeared on her. They had been together dutifully when he first returned, holding reason over love, but as time had progressed both had come to be the semblance of what they once were before Kiyotaka had left.

With time, they were also both accustomed to a schedule and were also a lot older. Madoka still enjoyed her job and the idea of submitting to deskwork later in the pregnancy for the health of a baby made her inwardly groan. The idea of taking care of a baby and becoming overly-homely made her a little uneasy. She could kick ass and work late hours and drink beer, damn it! She wasn't ready to change diapers and talk with other mothers at school.

Now the couple had a puppy, and Madoka wanted to believe it would stop Kiyotaka from asking about a child. She had to kick herself a little for mentioning puppies weren't like children, even though she knew he had baited her to say something like that in the first place.

"He wants to prove he's responsible," Madoka told Miyuki loudly, who whined in response and bounced her paws on the wall of the box. She walked back over to the box and glared at the puppy. "I don't know why I'm talking to you. You're nothing more than a dog, and you have horrible advice."

What possessed her to touch the dog, much less lift her out of the cardboard box, Madoka wasn't sure.

"I think Kiyotaka knew you were coming to us," Madoka said, her voice growing softer as she carried the puppy over to the floor and sat down with her. Miyuki took advantage of Madoka's kindness and curled up in her lap. "That man knows everything."

Madoka let out a soft sigh and stroked the puppy's ears gently. Miyuki's eyes closed and the puppy, after her tumultuous day, finally decided to take a nap.

* * *

Tumbling out of bed, Madoka looked up and blinked a bit in the darkness towards the bed. The light of the alarm clock illuminated the room and Madoka could make out the eyes and furry silhouette of Miyuki.

Ten seconds before, she had felt a slimy tongue wake her up out of her perfectly normal dream.

"How did you get in here?" It was more of an accusation than a question as the soft, blonde dog bounced off the bed and trotted over to her hopefully. "Did Kiyotaka let you in here?"

Miyuki's tail wagged in response, tattling on her other owner.

_Why me?_ Madoka thought bitterly. _Why did she have to go and wake me up?_

"Kiyotaka," Madoka called out, rising to her feet and going over to the other side of the bed to shake her husband awake. When that didn't work, she turned on the lamp at his bedside, shining light directly into his eyes. Her husband winced and tried to roll over, but she grabbed his shoulder strongly. "Don't ignore me. You let this dog into our room."

The threatening tone she used worked like a charm. Kiyotaka's eyes slowly blinked open, giving time to adjust to the light.

"She wouldn't stop whining when I left her out," Kiyotaka said.

"I think she needs out."

"Her leash is in the kitchen."

"No, this is your job. I didn't want a puppy in this house, and now that she's been forced upon me, she is now your responsibility."

"I'm getting up," Kiyotaka said, throwing off the covers and sliding his feet over to the side of the bed and straightening up his back. He rubbed his temple with a hand a moment before standing, the puppy leaping up onto his leg and yipping softly.

He patted her head softly quickly before standing up and walking over to the closet to dig out a pair of jeans and a shirt.

"It's the middle of the night," Madoka said, sighing. "I hope she doesn't do this every night. But I'd rather she go out than have an accident in the house."

"She already did," Kiyotaka said, pointing to a yellow puddle in front of their bedroom door before buttoning his white shirt up. Madoka's eyes widened.

"You're cleaning that," Madoka said, crossing her arms and turning away from Kiyotaka. He slid on his jeans and then walked over to her, putting his arms around her shoulders and giving her neck a light kiss.

"I'll take care of it."

Madoka relaxed, thinking he was going to give the excuse that he was taking the dog for a walk. He could be teasing like that, but she supposed he sensed the mood she was in. Being woken up at – she looked over at the clock – 2 a.m. was not fun, by any means. She had to work tomorrow morning, too, and needed the sleep.

Kiyotaka released her before leaving the room and returning with the cleaning agents for the floor. Once the mess was soaked up, he called Miyuki out of the room to follow him. Madoka crawled into bed, turning off the lamp before flopping over to her side of the bed. She could hear the jingle of a leash and the door shut shortly before she fell back to sleep, trying to shut out the thoughts that wanted to keep her awake.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: They are owned by Square Enix! Such a fate is my life.

Author's Note: This is not to pacify you Ayumu/Hiyono fans at all. I swear! Actually, I fully intended for the next chapter to more or less focused on them. Just remember that this is Kiyotaka/Madoka above all other pairings – this is Mushy after all. For the record, everything I've ever seen in Spiral suggests that a lot of the characters seem to live more…Westernized. I noticed they had normal dining chairs and tables, forks for utensils, and stuff like that throughout the manga and anime both, so I stuck with that in this fanfiction.

* * *

The sound of the front door turned Ayumu's head from his seat. He was shuffling through papers on what was once a dining room table with one hand. However, Hiyono had turned that table into a work desk. Why exactly had he allowed her to have a key to his apartment?

Oh yeah, that's right. Hiyono had bullied him for one, and she was proud of it. He had handed it over all to easily to her.

Whether she even went home to her own place, Ayumu didn't have a clue, and she liked to keep him on edge about that. He was adapting to her habits, used to fixing two meals instead of one, and less and less bothered by her unannounced visits. She somehow sensed he was irked about the mess on his table, though.

"Hiyono," Ayumu called out in annoyance to her, turning back to the table as she took off her shoes at the door, "Did you have to leave this mess on my table?"

"Those are my research materials," Hiyono said, sliding her feet into slippers and skipping over. She leaned over Ayumu's shoulder and picked up a stack of papers. "I need to sort through some of this. Anyway, I came to tell you about the dog. I've been asking around the neighborhood we found her, and I've called local pet stores, but so far I haven't found any leads."

"She's just a lost dog," Ayumu said, sighing. "Just put an ad in the paper, with a picture, and someone will probably claim her."

Hiyono dropped into the seat next to Ayumu and began sorting through the papers, trying to clear the area away. She unburied her laptop and put it back in its case.

"When did you bring that over?" Ayumu asked in surprise.

"Actually, I think it has been here for a few days," Hiyono admitted.

"Why don't you just leave it here? You spend the night here anyway."

This brought a smile to Hiyono's lips and she paused in her cleaning up. The two of them stared at each other for a few moments, evaluating the others' expressions. Knowing he was under evaluation, Ayumu scowled, and Hiyono started to grin and laugh.

"What did I say that has you so amused?" Ayumu asked.

"You can just come out and say you want me to be here, you know." Hiyono grabbed a notebook and shoved it in an extra compartment of her laptop case. "You don't know what to do without me, whether you deny it or not."

Ayumu pulled his chair back and walked off, heading to the bookcase to grab a cookbook and leaf through it in the kitchen. Hiyono shoved the last of the papers into a backpack and set the laptop case and backpack near the front door. She watched Ayumu flipping through the cookbook, probably trying to find out what meal he wanted to cook for the night. He would probably want to buy ingredients too.

There was a reason why Hiyono never went by her real name anymore. When she had left Japan for two years and came back to visit Ayumu in the hospital, she thought her heart might break. She had never wanted to leave Japan, she had never wanted to hear herself called by any other name than the name _he_ had called her. She hated Kiyotaka more than ever whenever she sat down and thought about all the pain that had happened a few years ago. And now, no matter if Ayumu lived for only a year or two, she wanted to be there with him, even if he could never admit he wanted her next to him. If he lived to an old age, she would be there.

When Hiyono realized she was crying, she quickly swiped her tears away and headed to the bathroom to wash her face. Ayumu was right – she did stay the night. She lived in a small apartment, but she hated it. Most of her belongings were at Ayumu's, and while he pretended to be annoyed he never actually minded. If Hiyono had taken everything Ayumu said seriously, she would never have been able to help him.

He relied on her in a way that gave her more purpose than her job ever did.

There were times he could never deny it. When his body felt particularly weak, sometimes he would nearly fall and she would catch him. She never looked at him with pity when she helped him balance himself or let him lean on her as he made his way to the bedroom. In return, he never complained about her requests for certain dishes – and some days, he would make her favorites without her asking. He always shrugged it off as a mere coincidence, so Hiyono never bothered him about it. He wouldn't be the Ayumu she knew if he just said he had done it all for her. That would be too romantic for him.

Ayumu was always the person she would love, even if she never so much as muttered those words to him. As long as she could be by his side, that was enough for her. And she told herself she would never leave – no matter the work she was offered.

* * *

"You put an ad in the paper?"

Kiyotaka looked up from his book to Madoka, who was standing near the hall on the phone. Apparently, she had been talking to Hiyono for the last several minutes, which had to be a record conversation between the two of them since Miyuki had been forced into their care several days ago. Apparently, the grudge Madoka had intended to hold against Hiyono for dragging her into this mess was quickly evaporating into appreciation.

"Thank you, Hiyono. I hope someone claims her…yes, claims Miyuki." The last bit was said with a scowl. Madoka had her back to Kiyotaka, so he couldn't help but smirk and look down at Miyuki and give her a wink. Miyuki noticed his gaze and wagged her tail. She wasn't even supposed to be in the living room, but Madoka's rule-enforcing was being interjected by Kiyotaka.

Truth be told, he couldn't help spoiling his new-found friend. Miyuki would be a good dog, and if they exposed her to lots of children while she was still a puppy, she would be an excellent family pet.

Well, she would be an excellent family pet once Kiyotaka convinced Madoka they needed more people in their family. So far, his wife had still refused the idea of children.

_She'll come around, eventually. That's what Miyuki is for, after all._ Kiyotaka reached over and gave Miyuki a comforting rub around the ears.

Kiyotaka heard Madoka hang up the phone and put it back on its charger and return to the living room. She looked refreshed after the news she had just received.

"Hiyono put an ad in the paper along with a picture, so hopefully the owner will come forward." Madoka's gaze dropped to Miyuki, lying on the living room floor, looking far too comfortable for a dog that had just used her couch as a bathroom two days before. "What is she doing in my living room?"

"She's behaving herself. She'll never get adapted to all the rooms of the house and the rules if we don't let her anywhere," Kiyotaka explained. "You have to be patient with dogs."

"You're spoiling her." The accusation stung, but not as much as the next sentence. "If you spoil her and let her break my rules, how could we ever possibly have children?"

Was it a good time to bring up that Kiyotaka wanted to move out of their apartment so they could live somewhere with more space – maybe even a yard for kids and a dog? Kiyotaka kept his mouth shut. He knew exactly how to convince Madoka to desire what he desired, but it was less fun if he didn't play around with her first and have a lot of patience to do things the hard way. When Kiyotaka didn't answer, Madoka turned to the kitchen to grab a beer.

"So you're saying you won't let your own kids on the furniture?"

"That has nothing to do with it!"

Thank goodness for Kiyotaka's keen intuition and vast knowledge. That unopened beer can that went flying at him really might have hurt, if he hadn't known it was coming and been able to dodge it just in time. He really had to wonder, when she sent it flying at him, why he chose the "interesting" methods and the long paths to get to his goals, and just why he couldn't grow out of the habit of playing with people and making them his pawns.

* * *

_Author's Note: As much as I love Kiyotaka, he really is a bastard. He really is. And I really don't believe he would have changed much from the way he was before as far as using people as his pawns and drawing things out in a complicated way to get to one single conclusion. In this case, it is a little less harmless, but I have to admit – I'm still baffled Kiyotaka and Madoka is my favorite pairing in the world. If anyone is curious where I get my characterization for Kiyotaka from (hoping I keep him in character enough, that is), read Spiral Alive. It's the prequel to Spiral, and while it hasn't been licensed in English, there are translations out there. Though, please buy it when it is licensed. :D_


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: Oh, if only I had some say in this series. I would have been happier to see more Kiyotaka and Madoka! You know the drill – Square Enix blah blah blah…_

_Author's Note: Here I am, neglecting my fanfiction again. I have an excuse! A lot of games came into my possession and I just had to play them! Also, I'm sorry Madoka's reactions probably suck, because I don't know women that well. I wrote the first part months ago, and then stopped – which sucks, because I lost the sheet of paper where I had laid out everything that was going to happen. Again, it's dominated by Kiyotaka and Madoka. Also, it's embarrassing that I didn't realize until reading Kyo Shirodaira's notes in the Spiral manga in the other day that he had a character named Miyuki…ugh._

* * *

Not a single call. Madoka couldn't hide the troubled look upon her face as she hung up the phone with Hiyono. The woman sent a long stare in the direction of Miyuki, who was curled up asleep in front of the door to the apartment. Even she couldn't deny that Miyuki was a pretty decent dog – so why hadn't anyone called about the ad in the paper?

Miyuki let out a groan and shuffled around on the carpet, attempting to get comfortable. Madoka felt sympathetic – the carpet couldn't feel that comfortable, even for a dog, but there was nothing she was able to do to change that (or so she told herself). She sat at the table and sipped water, flipping through a magazine while she waited on Kiyotaka to get out of the shower. If she could only convince him to take the dog to a shelter, or have Hiyono take the dog, then she could be free of this burden. Her eyes were puffy from staying up all night, constantly awaking to find a dog in their bed and pull her out. Miyuki had successfully torn up a roll of paper towels, one slipper, one sneaker, and an umbrella in the last week, and she was barely housebroken – overnight or while home alone, Miyuki still had a few accidents.

Kiyotaka was forced to deal with it all, but it didn't stop Madoka from being stressed out from what she felt was more like an ordeal than simply taking care of a dog. She needed sleep, a new umbrella, a new set of slippers, and a new set of sneakers. Why didn't that stupid dog chew up any of _Kiyotaka's_ things, anyway? Why did it always have to be_ her_ stuff?

As if she knew someone was thinking ill of her, Miyuki let out a squeak as she sneezed and shifted around on the floor again. Madoka listened closely down the hall and could still hear the water for the shower running, so she slowly stood up and walked over to Miyuki. Kneeling down, she placed a hand on the dog's forehead. Instantly, Miyuki's eyes opened and her head shot up, her tail wagging happily that Madoka was giving her the time of day to even touch her. She forced her head against the warm palm, and Madoka couldn't help but slowly run her hands over the back of Miyuki's head around her soft ears.

"By the time you go back to your real home, you'll be all trained," Madoka said. Her tone made it seem like she was annoyed, but her eyes and face were both smiling slightly. "And…"

_And you'll have to separate from the people you've gotten used to_, Madoka realized sadly.

"Since when did you get friendly with Miyuki?"

Madoka's hand jerked from the dog and she stood up quickly at the sound of her husband's voice. She turned and found him drying his hair with a towel in the doorway, wearing only jeans.

"Don't walk around half naked," she scolded, but part of the scolding was for her own benefit – the sight of her shirtless husband made her heart race. She walked over and started pushing him towards the bedroom door, but all he could do was laugh and stop himself by grasping the sides of the doorway. He leaned over and gave her a soft kiss on her lips.

"Let's have sex," he suggested when his mouth moved to her neck and started leaving small pecks that made it impossible for her to deny his lust. He let go of the sides of the doorway and allowed Madoka to push him with her body pressed into his all the way to their bed. Madoka made sure to close the door behind her hastily with her foot on their way inside the bedroom.

Miyuki tilted her head in confusion at where both her new family members had just disappeared, wondering what on earth those humans could be up to.

* * *

Since his return, Kiyotaka couldn't remember having sex like that. Getting Madoka into bed in the first place to do more than sleep had been a chore, but occasionally both of them got in the right mood at the same time. Her body had responded to all his touches, kisses, and caresses, while her pleasurable gasps had actually sent Miyuki into a whimpering fit in front of their door (believing one of her family was being injured). It was as if most of their tension in bed had dissolved!

He was now out taking Miyuki for a walk and watching her bounce about on the end of the leash as she sniffed everything they passed by on the sidewalk. He was more than pleased with himself, oh yes. And he was reminded just how beautiful his wife was – and he would have thought he was lucky to have her if only such a gift hadn't come so easily. Despite how boring it was to know everything that happened, it certainly had not taken away from the pleasure he had felt in being so close to her and feeling and seeing her every reaction as he pleasured her. Nothing was quite like experience – at least he had that much to look forward to.

Miyuki tugged hard at the leash in a desperate attempt to greet a little girl and her mother on the other side of the street, and Kiyotaka held strong to stop her. He knew he would eventually obtain what he wanted with enough convincing and enough Miyuki in Madoka's life. He hated knowing everything, manipulating everything – but it was certainly less boring when he finally saw the reactions of the people around him. And if experience was worth something, when he finally convinced Madoka to keep Miyuki and finally set her mind to children, then there was the task of raising children. Logically, he may remember or know the taste of everything, but it was a sweeter taste the moment it happened. He could at least count on that.

He was growing into an old and sentimental fool. If Ayumu had just killed him, then he wouldn't have to worry about killing time. He had been so prepared to die, but with Ayumu's choices he had no choice but to accept his fate, and his life. In accepting that, he had struggled to make life normal, and he decided it was best to enjoy his time with Madoka and look forward to a future family.

Yet he was still manipulating her, and it had all begun with the bouncing puppy at the other end of the leash Kiyotaka was holding. Hiyono and Ayumu really hadn't chanced upon a stray at all – Kiyotaka had known there was a stray puppy people had been complaining about in the area of the outdoor café he suggested so gently to Hiyono and Ayumu. As expected, Hiyono always stuck her nose in business where it didn't belong, and because the puppy was about the most innocent thing ever, she had not suspected Kiyotaka had anything to do with it. She was a tricky one to usually get around, but not this time – and it wasn't Kiyotaka's fault that the café offered just the kinds of unusual new dishes Hiyono liked to experimentally try.

It had simply worked out that way.

The stray had no home, though, as it had been running around the area for a couple of days before Hiyono and Ayumu visited the restaurant. Any loving owner would have heard something about it and claimed her by now if they had lived in the area, and Kiyotaka just knew somehow they would never find the original owners – she had never had loving owners until recently. Even though calling Madoka a loving owner was a bit of a stretch, Kiyotaka knew very well that she had fallen for Miyuki. The only one who hadn't was Ayumu, who managed to maintain his stoic expression every time he walked in the front door and Miyuki headed for him. Usually he would only have to look at her and she would resist all urges to jump all over Ayumu.

Still the puppy seemed to be growing on Madoka, and that was the part that mattered. With a little more exposure to small children, Miyuki would hopefully grow into a wonderful family dog, too. After all, she was going to have to help Madoka keep after the kids.

"Miyuki, let's go home now," Kiyotaka said cheerfully to the pup, who lifted her head immediately at him and wagged her tail. "We'll prepare your food when we get home."

Miyuki did not need any more motivation to go home beyond the word "food". She turned around happily and trotted the way home with Kiyotaka. The poor pup didn't know she was a tool in Kiyotaka's little game, and that was okay. She benefitted from having a home now, and that seemed to be all the simple-minded dog needed – food, family, playing, and a warm place to sleep. Really, Kiyotaka envied Miyuki in that way. She didn't need mind games to keep herself from getting bored.


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: Square Enix. Eita Mizuno. Kyo Shirodaira._

_Not once have I said Mushy._

_Author's Note: It seems like only every other chapter do Ayumu and Hiyono show up, and even then, Kiyotaka and Madoka get in. Did I ever happen to mention my favorite pairing was…? XD Also, there's a trend in my writing. When it gets to the "hot" stuff, I seem to tease…by cutting it out – I'd like to keep my account here, thank you very much._

* * *

Ayumu clutched the phone in his hand for quite some time, ignoring how embarrassed he felt that he was going to be the one calling her. Yes, _that_ girl – the one who kept hanging around. So where was she? It was already evening and he hadn't heard from her all day. Well, if she had shown up like she usually did, maybe he wouldn't have to call her to check up on her, because the world only knows what she was getting herself into at that very moment…

Hiyono's presence didn't really bother him like he always let on. The only problem he actually had with her was his dependency on her. That was embarrassing in ways he could not explain. Having to rely on someone when he was having trouble with his paralysis or feeling tired was great but it didn't take away from the humiliation. But she had always been there, and she never judged him. She helped him with nothing more than a beautiful smile – just as she always had.

There was no use in hesitating. He had to call her. It was his turn to give something back to her, and to the both of them.

It was funny how quickly he accessed her number in his cell's phonebook. Had he really memorized exactly how many clicks down the alphabetized list it took to get to her number, or was that just a coincidence? He rarely called her because he really never had to. By the time he could pick up the phone, it was always ringing, and it was always Hiyono.

"Hello," Ayumu said when he heard her pick up the phone and interrupt the second ring. Boy, she was quick.

"Oh hey, Ayumu! I had to run a few errands today but I –"

"Will you shut up for a moment?" Ayumu sighed. "Get over here, will you? And when you do, you should bring over the rest of your stuff."

There was a long pause and Ayumu wondered if Hiyono had dropped the phone or something.

"What are you saying?! How could you suggest that in such a vulgar way! Don't you know the proper way to ask a lady?! You're far from romantic you know."

"I really don't know what you're expecting, but this is what you're getting. So gather what you own that isn't already in my apartment and get over here."

"I'll be there in a couple of hours…" She said with a gentle sigh. "Really, Ayumu, would it have been difficult to say you wanted to see me and then ask me to stay with you by candlelight or –"

"That sounds inconvenient when I can just tell you to grab what little you have still left at your place and take it with you now. I'm hanging up now."

And he really did hang up, fortunate to have pulled the phone away from his ear because Hiyono started raging at him again. He smirked at the cell in his hands for a while. Well, that had gone a lot easier than he had anticipated.

"I wonder what I should make her for dinner," he said out loud, heading for the kitchen.

* * *

"Aren't you going to eat?" Ayumu stared at Hiyono incredulously. His home cooking was sitting right in front of her, and she wasn't touching it.

"Ayumu…" Hiyono said, looking down at the table sadly. "You really could have asked me nicer than you did. It didn't have to be perfect, but I'm still…I'm still a girl."

"...we'll talk about it after dinner. At this point, it's just sitting there getting cold." Now he really did feel bad. What had she expected of him? It had always been awkward for him to communicate his feelings to her, but she was probably right. She was still female, even if she was awfully rough around the edges and scary. I mean, he had just asked the biggest blackmailer in Japan to move in with him! How could that not be awkward?

No, she was hurt and Ayumu knew it. He had been overly callous with her on the phone during a moment that should have meant a lot to her. It was not like they ever intended to get married, so the circumstances were inevitably improper. He was pretty sure Hiyono understood to at least that much, but now he was confused. Marriage was not really his thing, and it wasn't like they had time even if that were the case. Even if Hizumi had helped buy him some time, Hiyono and Ayumu both knew the future – and his life expectancy – was uncertain. He tried hard not to dwell on it, but the fact remained in their minds nonetheless.

At least Hiyono was eating though, and Ayumu **would** talk with her. For once, he would at least tell her how he felt. Just because he was used to losses, did he have to add more to the list? He enjoyed her, and he enjoyed bullying her sometimes, but he also…loved her.

When they finished eating, Hiyono helped him clear the table and wash the dishes. It was too silent for either of them. She was wordless, because she was waiting on Ayumu to do the talking, and she was probably still sore with him.

He moved in on her while she was drying a dish and wrapped his working arm around her middle, pulling her back into his chest. She was so soft, and her warmth against him was wonderful. Her drying had immediately ceased, and she had set the plate and towel on the countertop, pulling her head back gently so it rested against his collarbone.

"I need you, Hiyono," He said, weakly. Oh god, was his voice cracking? Kiyotaka probably had a good idea what was going on right now and was probably having a good laugh about now. But he didn't care. Kiyotaka wouldn't take Hiyono away from him again.

"I know," she said, and her voice cracked too. Ayumu didn't have to see her face to know she was crying, and if she was, it had been the first time Ayumu had ever seen it – beyond her usually sobbing at sad movies or shows, but that was all very exaggerated and silly in his opinion.

"You're just going to stand there and let me hold you?"

"Yeah, that's exactly what I want you to do. You already told me what I needed to hear." She turned around in his arm, to face him, and wrapped her arms around his neck. Carefully, she pushed up on her toes and met his lips with those soft silky lips of hers.

* * *

"Why are you smirking like that?"

Madoka had never seen Kiyotaka smirk because he was losing to her at yet another fighting game. Something was definitely up, and it had nothing to do with the game at hand. That sort of pissed her off, too. How could she rub her victory in Kiyotaka's face if he wasn't even trying to win right now?!

"Don't you think Ayumu has grown up in a fine young man?"

"Huh?"

"Oh, nothing. Let's get back to the game."


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: Why do I bother?_

_Author's Note: Well, I'm certainly on a roll. I'm writing like mad – though the chapters are admittedly very short. And to be honest, this is the last one for this story._

* * *

"I knew it would be this way," Madoka said as she came into the bedroom, still holding her phone in her hand. Kiyotaka looked up from his spot on the bed where he had been lying, putting down his book with the pages facing his chest so he didn't lose his spot.

"Miyuki?" He asked knowledgeably.

Madoka let out a sigh and pouted slightly, simply nodding her head. The dog was already a permanent member of their family, really. She had established a spot in everyone's heart in the household, and even Madoka wouldn't deny it anymore. The puppy was actually in the bedroom, on their bed, curled up with her head propped on Kiyotaka's leg, and Madoka was allowing it. The fight was over, and the dog was staying.

"Hiyono said no one has responded to any of the flyers, and I can't imagine getting rid of her at this point."

"Sit down with me," Kiyotaka suggested, patting the empty spot on the bed next to him. Madoka took up the suggestion, allowing her husband to wrap his arm around her shoulder and pull her close to his chest. He removed the book skillfully and set it on a table next to the bed, and Madoka carefully made sure she didn't kick Miyuki with her feet by folding them.

"You knew we would keep Miyuki, didn't you?" Madoka said softly, looking at the dog as she rested her cheek against Kiyotaka's shoulder.

"Do you even have to bother asking?"

"Just to hear you admit it? Yes."

Kiyotaka hugged her closer, rubbing her arm softly. It was a miracle she put up with him, sometimes, because she knew sometimes she was just being used. But it was times like this that she at least felt appreciated as his wife. She had long ago realized Ayumu had been right – she wasn't just a tool, because Kiyotaka did love her. It just never stopped those times she was being used from hurting her so much. Even now, her chest burned furiously from the pain.

"You know, having a dog is nice, but I think the best experience about having a dog is when you have children too."

"Aren't we a little old for that?" She made sure all her bitterness came through in her voice, clearly. "If you hadn't taken off, perhaps we would have been able to have them. I'll be the oldest mother there when I drop my children off at school. And you'll only spoil the children. So I'll be the oldest mother there, with the most spoiled children."

She knew she had him on that, but it didn't stop the burn in her chest from growing. There had been a time when she had believed they would be a normal couple who eventually settled down and had children together. When Kiyotaka disappeared and didn't return for over two years, those dreams had been snuffed out. She had been dutiful towards her marriage and husband when he returned, even though she had honestly supported Ayumu's ideals over Kiyotaka's – and still did, in many ways. By then, children had been forgotten.

Why now, of all times, must he bring up something so painful to her, just when she had finally accepted the way things were?

"Well I can drop the children off at –"

"Kiyotaka, the mind games have to stop. I know you're bored, but I'm tired of being manipulated. I can't stand being just another pawn in your game."

The hand rubbing her arm stopped and the bedroom fell quiet except for the breathing of a sleeping dog. Madoka fought the way her eyes watered, but she was proud of herself for saying what she had. She had finally confronted Kiyotaka on the main problem that had been bothering her.

"Madoka, I realized the other day that I had been missing out on something vital. Even if I know what's going to happen, nothing is quite the same as experiencing it. And there's one thing I always did want to experience, but figured I couldn't until recently – and that's having children. I don't care if you think we're too old. You're still beautiful and refuse to look at the past and continue living in regret. Isn't this something we both wanted? Why settle for what we have, when the are still dreams we can fulfill together?"

"And is this just all more of your manipulation?"

"No," Kiyotaka said, pulling forward and slipping his arm out from around her. She leaned against the headboard of their bed for support as Kiyotaka pulled his leg out from under Miyuki's chin and turned to face Madoka straight on.

"Madoka, I know what is going to happen. I've always hated that about myself. Perhaps it would have been better if I had gone about things differently and stopped using people as if they were tools, but in this case we've given a dog a loving home. That's something I at least don't regret, though I'm sorry she chewed through so many of your belongings. By the way, I fully intend to replace those."

Did he expect her to react with joy and forgiveness immediately? Madoka's eyes burned with tears as she stared at her husband's handsome face and realized she really did love him, but no matter how much she loved him, he still had put her through pain.

"Give me time, Kiyotaka."

"I'll give you as much time as you need." He set a gentle hand on her knee and massaged it lightly. "I'll stop with the mind games. I'm too busy killing time, and I haven't been appreciating experiences."

Madoka smiled softly at him.

"It took you a long time to realize that, didn't it?"

"You're the only one who could teach me that, and you did a great job." The massaging stopped and he used her knee to pull himself forward, putting a warm hand on the back of her neck. Their faces were close now, and he brushed his lips softly against hers in a way that seemed to wash away the loneliness that she had been feeling for years of their marriage. After knowing who he really was, she had always felt there was distance between them even while they lived together.

It had taken a while, but it had finally happened – she was with the real Kiyotaka now. Her husband could at least appreciate the taste of life even if he knew how the future would map out. Madoka would hold onto this Kiyotaka, and she would never let him stray.

* * *

_  
_

_Author's Note: It's probably not the best ending, but I can't imagine there's anything more to do without it becoming angst-ridden. In true Spiral fashion, I've left it pretty open ended for further interpretation. Kiyotaka and Madoka will probably have children and Ayumu and Hiyono will live together until the end. It's too sad to think of writing those, and I like the idea that even I won't know what happens to them. I'd like to think the best for them. I can't believe this story has taken me – what? About two and a half years to write?_

_Thank you to all my readers who have followed this, who are just now reading…thanks for seeing this short little story to the end. I accomplished the one thing I wanted – to give Kiyotaka one growth I realized he lacked when I read Spiral. He may be certain of the future, but he has to stop and savor the moment as it is happening or nothing can save him from his boredom – appreciation for life is never a bad thing._


End file.
